Don't Follow Me: A High School Bully Romance (Diamond In The Rough Book 4)(16)

Where Mike and Ally quickly disappeared.

“Well, I guess this is our room,” Rae said.

I snickered as the door slammed, closing us off from our two friends.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“You want to do the honors? Or should I?”

I kissed her head again. “It’s your weekend. You can go in when you’re ready.”

With a heavy sigh, she slipped her key into the hotel room door. And when the air conditioning slapped us in the face, the two of us sighed with relief. I helped Rae get her things into the room, and as she flopped onto the bed I walked over to the window. I pulled back the curtains and looked down the five stories all the way to the ground. More boys walked by. Laughing and punching one another in the arm. Having the time of their lives during orientation weekend.

Boys that had their life together.

Unlike me.

I’ve just got my notebook and bullshit side jobs.

“So, do you wanna talk about it?”

I turned away from the window as my question lingered in the air. Rae sat up and looked my way, then heaved a heavy sigh. A sigh I heard much too often nowadays.

A sigh I didn’t know how to fix.

“I don’t know. It’s just--”

I walked over to her. “What happened with your mom?”

She scooted over, giving me room to sit. “She called me at Allison’s and started rattling off all sorts of nonsense. How she was in my room supposedly cleaning or whatever and wondered if I left my charger cable for my phone behind.”

“Why was she in your room in the first place?”

“I don’t know, but she flat-out lied to me about it. She said there was ‘a smell coming from a box under my bed.’”

“She didn’t.”

“I’ve had that box with me this entire time. Have you smelled anything?”

I sighed. “Oh, Rae.”

She shook her head. “I’ve let up lately on the money I’m giving Mom and she’s actively snooping around for it. I know she suspects something. That’s why I gathered all of it up and shoved everything I figured she might find into that purse.”

I nodded slowly. “I figured that’s what it was.”

“What the hell am I going to do? She’s literally going through my room trying to find shit. What the hell is wrong with her?”

“Rae, your mother is sick. Maybe not physically. But, mentally? Possibly. Is she still going to therapy?”

“With as easy as it was for her to bold-faced lie to me about some stupid shit? I don’t even know anymore.”

“Is she telling you she is?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

I wrapped my arm around her. “I don’t want to seem as if I’m walking all over what you want. But I really do feel that one of the reasons you need to give at least this first semester a chance is to get away from your mother. Figure out how to live your life without her influence and her presence.”

“I know.”

“And who knows what’s going through her mind right now?”

She snickered. “I’ve got an idea as to a few things.”

I kissed her temple. “I know you do. But we’re away for the weekend, so one of the first things we can do is find a branch of your bank to put all that money in.”

“Well…”

I paused. “What? What is it?”

She sighed. “I know what you’re going to say, so don’t do it. Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay…? What’s going on?”

She cleared her throat. “I thought I could trust my mother, so I kind of gave her a card to my bank account.”

“You did what?”

“I know! I know. I know it was stupid. But she was on such a good path with getting rid of D.J. for good and going to therapy and putting in job applications. I figured it would be easier for her to just get what we needed if she had a card to the account instead of me always having to, you know, give her money.”

“You didn’t.”

She stood up. “I know it was stupid. But that’s why I started storing money not in my bank account. I know she’s run it a few times already and it’s probably been declined. I’ve only been putting in there exactly what is necessary, then storing the rest away elsewhere.”

I sighed. “Fucking hell, your mother.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it.”

I paused. “Okay. Well, we go to a branch of your bank and we open up another account. One that doesn’t have any cards attached to it. Or put it in your savings account. There’s a way for us to store this money without your mother getting access to it that doesn’t require you to haul it around in a purse all weekend. That’s just as dangerous.”

“I know,” she whispered.

I took her in my arms. “It’s going to be okay, Rae. I promise you.”

She leaned against me. “I don’t know some days.”

“You know, I might have something that’ll cheer you up.”

She sniffled. “Really?”

I nodded. “Mm-hmm. Can I get over to my bag for a second?”

“Does that mean I have to let you go?”

Her words warmed my soul. “Not at all.”

I dipped down and gripped her ass cheeks. I hoisted her against me as she giggled into my neck. With her arms and legs tightly wound around my body, I carried her over to my bed. I sat her down on my lap as I reached out for my suitcase, clumsily unzipping it.

Before reaching out and pulling out a bottle of champagne.

“Clint!”

“Sh sh sh sh sh,” I said, chuckling.

She lowered her voice. “Where the hell did you get that?”

I grinned. “A ‘congratulations’ from Cecilia. She bought it for us.”

“Your stepmom is a fucking saint.”

“Yeah, Ma is pretty awesome. I told her I wanted to celebrate with something special. And she came back with this for us. She scolded me, of course, did the whole one-finger pointing thing and told me to drink responsibly.”

Rae laughed. “I bet that was a sight.”

I smiled. “It really was. I wish I would’ve gotten it on video for you.”

“So want me to go unwrap some of the plastic cups over by the coffee machine?”

“And I’ll do the honors of popping open the bottle.”

As Rae scrambled off my lap, I stood. With a smile on my face and the cork pointed in the other direction, I effortlessly popped the top. The love of my life came over and I filled up our clear plastic cups. Then I ushered her over to the balcony.

Where we had a view of the hotel pool and hot tubs as yet more boys walked by.

“To your future,” I said.

I raised my glass and Rae followed my motions.

“Wherever it takes you and whatever you decide to do with it, I’ll always be here.”

She smiled. “Promise?”

I slipped my free hand along her waist. “Promise, promise.”

“Then I’m going to toast to our future. Cal State or not, it’s the two of us against the world.”

And when she clicked her cup against mine, I felt more at peace than I had in months.

Rae turned to look out over the part of L.A. we could see, so I stood behind her. With my arm around her stomach, we silently sipped our drinks. I drew in the fresh air. I listened as guys and girls from all directions laughed and cracked jokes. I knew there would be mounds of parties thrown here. Probably in this hotel alone, but definitely around the campus. I wasn’t sure if Rae would be up to any of them. But if she wasn’t, I didn’t mind spending our evenings in with room service and her body cuddled against mine.

After all, I missed having her like this anyway.

It felt nice to get away with her.

Imagine what you’d feel like if you moved with her.

I shook away the thought. I rested my chin on top of Rae’s head and finished my drink. She handed me her cup and I went inside to refill them, already feeling the champagne loosening me up. I kicked the air up another notch and filled our glasses again before I turned around. I figured I’d go back out onto the balcony to find Rae. But instead, she stood in front of me.

While slowly easing the balcony door closed.

“I think opening a new account for that money is a good idea. Maybe putting some of it in an investment or whatever?”

I nodded. “Okay. I’m sure we can work that out tomorrow after your orientation.”

She sauntered toward me. “Then, maybe we could come back here and have some lunch. Maybe order in, since Michael and Allison will probably want to do dinner out tonight.”

I swallowed hard. “Sure. Whatever you want.”

Her hands slid up my torso. “Whatever I want?”

I nodded. “Oh, hell yeah.”

She grinned. “Good.”

She plucked her drink from my hand and slammed it back. I mean, she fucking chugged it. I tipped mine up and did the same, feeling my cock already aching for her. With her flushed cheeks and lust filling her eyes, she pushed me down onto the bed. She crawled on top of me, her eyes connected with mine. And as she straddled my fucking stomach, her shirt came over her head.

Revealing her luxurious curves as I licked my lips.

I watched in awe as she unfastened her bra. It slid down her shoulders as her shirt fell to the floor. Her lovely tits came spilling out, her nipples already puckered. Already begging for my lips. And as a smirk settled across my face, I rose up.

Until Rae pushed me back down.